


This is what I should be doing, right?

by CampMan



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BTW I edit this all the time it's a constant WIP, Cults, Daniel Backstory (Camp Camp), Daniel Redemption Arc (Camp Camp), Depressed Daniel (Camp Camp), Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Memory Loss, Nausea, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Religion, Religious Cults, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Secret Relationship, Slow Burn, Stressed David (Camp Camp), have you ever noticed how just constantly stressed David is, probably? who knows, redemption arc, repost, that'll come eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-28 04:55:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30134304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CampMan/pseuds/CampMan
Summary: Daniel ends up in the hospital after drinking rat poison, and a mysterious stranger shows up to comfort him.Or, is he even a stranger at all?
Relationships: Daniel/David (Camp Camp)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 8





	1. Time to Wake Up

Daniel was finally waking up. His mind, still blurred, began to spin all over again. His eyes shot open, but he quickly winced. It was so bright here.  
Where was he, anyway? Daniel blinked a few times. Wow, he was really out of it, huh? Once he was used to the light, he looked straight ahead. He saw a whiteboard on a white wall, its surface split into an uneven grid by what looked like black tape. It had assorted abbreviations on its surface, he couldn't understand most of it. Under the "Patient Information" tab, it had his first name and last initial, and some basic information about him. Nothing too descriptive, though. He hoped the hospital didn’t have access to his record. Last thing he needed was the police getting involved, again.

Daniel tried to sit up, but was immediately thwarted by a gripping pain in his lower torso. He groaned loudly. He squinted his eyes and furrowed his brow, and proceeded to try and rub his temples. He felt so nauseous, but he felt like he couldn't throw up even if he wanted to. "Better take it easy, Danny.." he muttered aloud. Once he got a hold of his bearings, he looked around the room. He was sitting on a pale white and slate gray bed, with large gray rails on either side of it. A small table was on his left, with some extremely bland looking food on its surface. To his right, a more sturdy looking table sat. It had a landline, a remote, and a small card on top of it. Also to his right, a large window with a view of the mountains. The windowsill seemed far too wide, he thought. A couple chairs lined the walls, they looked worn. Attached to the ceiling in the corner, an old TV played a game show. It was muted. On his left a dull, tacky, brown curtain separated his part of the room from what he could only assume was the door.

That's all he could see from where he sat.

So, Daniel ended up in the hospital. Again. Damn, this was becoming far too regular for his liking. Still, he wondered how he even got here. He tried to remember what he did last, but his brain wouldn't cooperate. 

He remembered reading the paper, and playing his violin. He was surrounded by dark greens and a soothing white. Was that him? A small blur of yellow and green. Fuck, his head was killing him. He shook his head a bit to attempt to clear his thoughts. He pinched the bridge of his nose, he had to focus.

Daniel looked around the room again. At the whiteboard, which still didn't make a lick of sense. At the food offered to him, still looked revolting. At the TV; playing nonsense. At the remote. At the small, green and yellow business card. At-  
Wait, hold on. Daniel tried to crane his neck to get a look at it, he couldn't read any of the words on it from this angle. But, he was able to make out the shape of a tree. Must have been a pine, of some type. The card itself was an olive green, and the writing and images on it were a pale, yet saturated yellow. The tree was circled, and surrounded by yellow rays. His eyes blurred, and he was forced to blink again. He certainly was worse for wear. 

A sound, to his left. He turned to see what it was. Sounded like it could've been a door. A pale hand reached around the curtain and pulled it away, behind it stood a man. He had auburn hair, and he was wearing a green shirt, a small brown vest, brown shorts, brown hiking boots, and white socks that almost went up to his knees. He also wore a yellow bandanna. What an odd guy.

"Daniel! You're up! It's good to see that you're doing better." The stranger said. Well; come to think of it, 'stranger' didn't quite seem right. Maybe this guy knew him? He had to, he knew his name. 

Daniel stirred in his place, and chuckled nervously. "Aha, yeah.. I'm.. I'm doing great," he paused, "you.."  
Maybe not the best way to introduce yourself to someone who already knew you.

The man chuckled. "Aw, Daniel. How are you holding up? I've been worried about you, you know." The man pulled up a chair and sat next to Daniels bed. 

Daniel scoffed. "I'm fine." That was a lie. "I.. I'm fine" he trailed off.

The man gave him a patient smile. 

"Hey," Daniel started.

"Yes, Daniel?" the man inquired. Daniel started to question if he should still just bluntly ask this guy for his name, again. What if they were good friends? What if this man was a follower of Xemüg as well? He didn't want to disappoint him, if that were the case.

Daniel stared at this guy. Maybe he could just remember the name, in time. 

The stranger gave him an inquisitive look, worry evident in his green eyes. Oh, right. Daniel was supposed to be asking him a question. "Hey, uhh.. Can.." Daniel looked around the room. "Can you bring my food a bit closer?" He said, rather bluntly.

The man nodded cheerily. "Of course! I'm just happy I can be here to help you, Daniel." Every time this guy used his name, it felt like he was taunting him. Daniel furrowed his brows, while he watched the other man walk around his bed and push the table closer. "Thanks." Daniel said, colder than he intended. He attempted to push himself up, but he got another jolt of pain from his torso as he did so. "Gah!" Daniel let out a grunt. His company gasped, and rushed to support Daniel. Daniel was shaking slightly, this time hurt worse. 

"Wow, that punch got you bad.." his counterpart commented. Was Daniel in a fight? Was this strange man somehow involved? Did they fight..? Daniel looked him over. No way, Daniel could've killed him, no question. Come to think of it, where was his dagger? He knew he was in a hospital, no way he could've still had it with him. Still, he looked around the room for it. The stranger picked up on this.

"What're ya lookin' for, friend?" The stranger chipperly questioned. Daniel scoffed at him. 

"I'm looking for my dagger, have you seen it?" Daniel asked.

The man hummed. You could see when his brain clicked. "Ohh, your knife? Well, I didn't want the hospital to take it from you. I know how they can be when they take things like that. I stashed it in my cabin, I just hope Max doesn't find it. He's doing better, now." He was a talker, wasn't he. "Everyone was acting really weird this afternoon. After your party, they all-"

"Your cabin?" Daniel cut him off, he didn't want him to start asking questions. 

"Yeah? Back at the camp, remember?" the man seemed confused for a moment. He paused, a worried expression dawned on his face. "You.. you remember being at the camp, right? Oh my gosh, you didn't hit your head, did you? I remember you fell over after our fight, but I didn't think you hit your head at all, let alone this bad!" Daniel seemed to have opened a can of worms, here. 

"Hey, calm down friend." 

"David." He replied.

Well, that was one way to learn someones name, he shrugged internally.  
"David," Daniel started, "I'm fine. Everything is just.. kinda foggy right now." Daniel didn't want to pry David for answers, that could risk David doing the same. Daniel knew that he had just finished his mission at a compound, and that he was currently looking for work. Maybe David was somehow involved in the last ceremony? But he was always so careful to leave no witnesses, besides Xemüg of course. However, if this David was involved. Why was he visiting Daniel at the hospital? And from the looks of it, it was sounding like David and Daniel did get into a fight. If that was the case, why was Daniel in the hospital while David was still running around? He strained his brain, it hurt. Maybe this was a sign from Xemüg to take a break? That didn't seem right either. Daniel's head was spinning, and his throat clenched. His stomach churned, oh god. Daniel sputtered, and dry coughed until he coughed up a small trace of purple gooey liquid. It seemed a lot deeper than he remembered this stuff looking.

Was Daniel remembering? His eyelids hung heavy, he tried to clear his throat. He could taste a sweet, sticky, thick substance coating his esophagus. He tried to clear his throat again, but entered a coughing fit once more. 

David patted Daniels back and offered him a cup of water. Daniel accepted the offering, and gulped it down. Once he was properly hydrated, he coughed again and his throat was cleared. His mouth had a sweetly bitter taste, like juice left in a metal can. In the sun. For a week. He sighed, and looked at David with tired eyes.

"Why did this happen to me?" Daniel asked. Not directly to David, more so to the universe than anything.

David was taken off guard. He didn't know what to say to that. "I.." he started, he cleared his throat. "Sometimes things just, happen. There's no rhyme or reason to it. It may have been planned, it might not have been. That's just the way that life is, y'know?" David shrugged. He felt like that may have been a bit harsh, but it felt like the right thing to say in the moment. 

Daniel was staring down at the bed sheets. He seemed lost. He looked.. hollow. David couldn't stand seeing people like this, it tore his heart into pieces. He reached over tentatively and laid his hand on Daniels shoulder. Daniel flinched, and David drew his hand away. After a moment, he tried again. Daniel didn't resist this time. David rubbed small circles on Daniels back. "I'm sorry, Daniel.."

Daniel glanced over at David, his eyes tried to search him. "David, are we friends?" Daniel asked.

David was taken aback, yet again. This was going to be a heavy conversation, wasn't it? He mentally prepared for a moment.

"If you want to be, I'd like to be your friend."


	2. Waiting on the Phone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel makes a phone call, and considers giving up the most important thing in his life thus far

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey, back again! I've been working on this casually for a couple days, so this time around I had more time to think about what exactly I wanted to do with this story. I'm pretty happy with this chapter, its very dialogue heavy so prepare for that! Enjoy!

So, it turned out that Daniel had gotten a concussion; on top of getting poisoned.  
Things were going great.

Hospital staff came in and out of his room often to check on his vitals, and he was getting better. His stomach kept churning, he had an intense craving for ice cream. The hospital only gave him milkshakes, though. Daniel hoped that this time hadn't been the last straw for his system.

Daniel lay in bed, alone. He wasn't much of a sleeper, but there wasn't really much else he could do in his state. This was hellish. He had a record breaking 3 hour rest, and now he wasn't able to drift off anymore. He looked out the window at the stars and planets. He wanted to be out there. Out ruling planets alongside Xemüg.. Speaking of which, he hadn't contacted him at all since he had been admitted to the hospital. Usually Daniel had to do a special ceremony, and take some stuff in order to see anything. However, Daniel hoped that his desperation would be enough to sway Xemüg. 

Daniel took a few deep breaths, and willed his heart rate down. In order for this to work, he needed to take his heart down to at least 40 bpm, preferably 30. Daniel took another deep breath, and closed his eyes.

As Daniel relaxed, he focused on his visual mind. He tried to imagine Xemüg's being, and his physique. The image in his mind formed, it was faint. He called out within his mind, trying to get Xemüg's attention. His image stayed static. Daniel cried out. No response.

"Xemüg!" Daniel called out again, and this time he whispered it too. 

Xemüg wouldn't pay him any mind, and Daniel wondered if Xemüg considered him worthy at all. Did he ever? Did Xemüg ever actually talk to him at all..? Daniel felt a small tear form behind his eyelids.

As the image faded from Daniels mind, he opened his eyes again.  
Where did he go wrong? He's shown nothing but devotion to his Lord Xemüg, so why wasn't this working? Surely if Xemüg was there, he would know about Daniels state. Xemüg had to care about Daniel, Daniel was his most devoted follower. Well, maybe the conditions really weren't right. Daniel sighed and frowned, in all honesty he just needed someones support. Anyone's support. 

Daniel sighed and took a sip of a milkshake he ordered from the cafeteria. These had more sugar than he was allowed to have, maybe that was it? Daniel looked at the drink. Why shouldn't he be allowed to have these, anyway? They still had far less sugar than Kool-Aid did. He took another drink. His stomach rumbled in protest.

He pondered if anyone believed in him. He didn't really believe in himself, right now. He had ruined two rituals in a row, the first he had nearly been caught for, and the second lead him here. Daniel felt like a complete failure.  
The main reason why he applied for the job at Camp Campbell was because the job at his last compound didn't yield any satisfying results. Then again, did it ever? He's been doing this for almost 8 years now, and he hasn't made any real physical progress with Xemüg in that time. He was so tired of constantly being on the move. He wanted to get to know someone, for once. All he was looking for this time was a sign. Daniel paused, and looked around the room. Maybe this was a sign. This hadn't been the first time he'd been screwed over, and it wasn't the worst of it either.

Daniel wondered how David was right now. He should call him. Daniel picked up the phone, he was able to sit up now without it hurting him too bad. He cleared his throat and grabbed the business card from his bedside table. He looked over the front, he hadn't noticed before but David had given him a really nice card. It felt like it was recycled material, and the design on the front had a nice glossy shine to it. He flipped it over, a list of camp activities in small font lined the border of the card. A photo of David, his name, and his personal phone number also adorned the back. Daniel took a breath and started to dial the phone. 

The phone rang. It rang again. It rang for a third time. Daniels nerves were bubbling up in his chest. The phone rang for a fourth time. Daniel considered hanging up. To kill time, maybe he could try to guess how many inches wide the room w-

A groggy voice answered. "Hello?" he heard a yawn.

Daniel looked the the time, right. I was 4 am. David was asleep. He mentally face palmed.  
"Oh, hey David."

"Daniel? Whats going on?" Daniel heard shuffling on the other end. "Are you okay?"

Daniel hummed. "Yeah, David. I'm okay. I'm just.. bored. I didn't mean to wake you up. I can't sleep."

David yawned on the other end. "Well, if you'd like, I can stay up with you and talk so you aren't lonely."

"Don't you have to be up for camp in a few hours?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah, but I'll be fine. I don't usually get much sleep, anyway."

"Oh?" Daniel started. "Why's that?"

David paused. "I.." Daniel could almost feel the gears turning in Davids brain over the phone.

"You can be honest with me, I won't tell anyone." 

David remained silent. Daniel tried to think of something else to say, best not to pry if it wasn't necessary.

"I'm just really stressed right now, I guess. I.." David stopped for a moment. "Max is just. He's a lot. To deal with.." David trailed off. Daniel could feel the guilt and shame in David's voice. Daniel frowned.

"When I first met you, I could feel your tension." Daniel replied after a moment. "Why do you care so much about Max if he's hurting you like this?"

Davis remained silent for a moment. "I want to see people succeed. Sometimes, what they need is a push in the right direction. I've noticed a difference in his behavior since I've started showing him positive attention. I guess it's also part of my job to be a role model, too. To lead by example." David stopped for a moment. Thinking. "There's more to it, I suppose. That's the gist, though." 

Daniel thought this over for a moment. "Doesn't that just stress you out?"

"Well, yeah. It doesn't help that some of the campers know how to push my buttons, but I get by. I can take it, I always have." David replied. David figured he'd have to be honest with Daniel if they were going to be working together.

Daniel hummed. It did sound nice to have someone right there that cared for you, didn't it? Someone who was real, and cared for you as much as you cared for them. Daniel wanted something like that more than words could express. It pissed him off that someone else was getting just that, and was being so ungrateful about it. On top of that, that they were actively hurting the very person giving them that support.

Something occurred to Daniel, impulsively he asked "David, are you religious?" Daniel realized this wasn't the best direction to steer the conversation in, oh well.

David stayed silent for a second, before replying. "Well, no. I was raised around it, but I don't practice. Why do you ask?"

"I'm just.. I've been doing this for so long, and lately it feels like my.." Daniel fought to find the right words. ",practices.. It feels as if it's not worth the trouble its caused me.

David pondered, weighing his options. He decided to go all in. "Hey, Daniel. I admit I've been curious. I just haven't had the chance to ask you this, one on one, yet. At least, there hasn't been an appropriate time for this." 

Daniel held his breath.

"Daniel, did.. are you really a cultist..?" David felt awful asking him this, but he needed to know. For the safety of his campers, and for himself. He just hoped Daniel didn't say-

"Yes. Yes, I.. I grew up in a cult." Daniel felt a ting of guilt with the confession. He knew how people would react, and usually he would just try to show them the light. From the time that they had first met, Daniel had hoped that they would've been able to find each other again in the great beyond. Now, though. He wanted to spend his life on Earth with him. David was so pure, someone who could even infect Daniel with his charm and good spirits. 

David fell silent. He didn't know what to do, he felt his heart sink a little in his chest. What should he do? What if Daniel was just trying to get him to lower his guard? He couldn't imagine someone as sweet as Daniel, or at least as sweet as seemed to be, being part of something so heinous. Was Daniel genuine at all? Or, perhaps, David was just stereotyping the whole thing? Maybe cults are all called cults for a reason, though. David didn't know what to do with this new knowledge. Oh God, and Max was telling the truth the whole time; and David didn't even believe him. David started shaking. What was Daniel planning, what was-

"David, are you there buddy? I-" Daniel clenched his jaw and sighed. "The reason I brought this up is because I feel like this isn't leading me anywhere anymore. I'm tired of this, I want to try something new. Maybe this could be my chance." Daniel wasn't really sure what he really wanted to to. He did want to quit, in all honesty he had thought about this before. He had been at this for so long, with hardly any real results. There was also the possibility of this backfiring on him, too. Did he want to risk this? Daniel swallowed a knot in his throat and wove his finger through the coil of the telephone cord. He pulled on the cord, and his nose began to bleed again.

This had been happening since he woke up here, doctors said it was a normal symptom of rat poisoning. Daniel wiped the blood on his thumb, eyeing it. He always had a fascination with his own blood, in a way. Just seeing it, this force that kept him alive. That was probably why he was so intrigued the first time he saw someone else's blood. He wiped his thumb on his gown, now wasn't the time for this.

"David," Daniel started, his heart sunk in his chest. "I don't want to do this anymore. I'm tired. I'm exhausted. This is killing me, I want to break free from this. I've been doing this routine since I was a child, I'm sick of this empty feeling I get. I'm sick of ending up in places like this, hurting." Daniel stopped, to see if David would say anything. David patiently waited for him to continue. Nobody really did that for Daniel.

"David. Please, help me. I can't do this anymore"


	3. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel meets the whole group, much to his dismay.  
> Still, this was essential. And nothing was going to stop him from reaching his end goal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got this out a lot faster than I expected, it helps that I usually end up writing too much for one chapter in one sitting so I have a better starting point when starting new chapters.
> 
> \- - -'s are time skips, or major scene changes. I wanted to try something unique.

Daniel stretched and yawned, it felt good to be in his own clothes again. He'd been in the hospital for a couple weeks, and laying in the hospital bed day in and day out was starting to really get on his nerves. David had been there with him the whole way during his recovery, and they had talked a lot of things over.

Initially, when Daniel was first considering abandoning his cult, he was worried about angering Xemüg. Even the mere thought of giving this up felt like a sin. This eventually sent Daniel into a panic attack, and just at that moment David came by for one his morning visits. David was the most understanding person that Daniel had ever met, and he felt honored to have such a kind person care for him so deeply. Even if that's just what David did. Guilt plagued Daniels mind every moment, but he would do anything to keep David safe from here on out.

Daniel still hadn't admitted to David what his true intentions were with the ascension party. As far as David knew, Daniel was just trying to get the campers to join his cult. Which, still, wasn't good either.  
Daniel knew that if David ever found out that Daniel was going to actually murder his campers, that he would never forgive him. This thought haunted Daniel to his core, especially since several of the campers would be able to tell David if the topic ever came up.

Daniel did not want to go back to Camp Campbell, it was too much of a risk.

Still, David egged him on and tried to calm his nerves any way he could. Times like this made Daniel wish he knew how to erase memories. He wanted a fresh start, but he wanted that start to be with David's support.

David and Daniel walked out of the hospital together. Daniel wished he could've held David's hand.

David turned the key for the ignition and began to pull out of the lot. Daniel swallowed the lump in his throat. "David, do you think this is a good idea?"

"What do you mean, Danny?" David asked

Daniel flustered, David hadn't called him that before, and it struck a particular chord in Daniels heart to hear it. It sounded so endearing, and genuine. Daniel could savor these feelings forever, if time allowed. Daniel spoke up again. "Well, I just worry about how the campers will react upon my return. I get the feeling that they wont like me, and understandably so. I was.. pushy.. to say the least." Daniel trailed off. This was tricky territory, he had to be careful as to not out his original plans.

"Oh Daniel, it'll be okay! I know you may have had a rough start, but I know that it'll end up better this time!" David smiled at Daniel. 

Doubt entered Daniels mind, even David's positivity wasn't enough to chase these thoughts away completely. Daniel wanted to say something more, but if he voiced his thoughts he risked David encouraging him to find work elsewhere. 

"You seemed so eager when you started." David frowned. "What changed?"

Attempted homicide, for one. That can certainly change things.

David took a left turn into Camp Campbell, and Daniels nerves crept ever higher. It was starting to look like he'd have to confront this head on. Daniel held onto the hope that the Purification Sauna had kept everyone blissfully unaware as intended. Daniel hummed, trying to think of a good reply, but his mind was drawing blanks. He wasn't nervous about meeting the campers again, really. Honestly, he personally could care less about them. He just didn't want anyone getting in his way, and he was going to make sure that David and him would stay on good terms. One way or another. Daniel simply huffed in response.

David crept to a stop at the end of the long, rocky path that lead to the Mess Hall at the center of the camp. Daniel's mind considered the possibilities. Maybe being a normal counselor could be fun. He hadn't really tried being a normal, average guy long term at any of his jobs thus far. Daniel stepped out of the old station wagon, and David followed suit. Daniel had forgotten how nice the air was out here. Sure, the hospital gave him fresh filtered oxygen, but nothing beat fresh mountain air. The lake also helped with the atmosphere. This camp really was at a fantastic location, he could spend eternity here. 

Daniel began to wonder what could be so great about the afterlife when places like this existed on earth.

David motioned for Daniel to follow him. David lead them over to the counselor cabins, thankfully they went unnoticed. It was still pretty early in the day, for kids anyway. They must've been sleeping still. Once inside the cabin, David pulled a folder out of his desk and flipped through the pages inside.

"So," David started. "I still need to fill some of these out, I just wanted to wait until you were back at the camp before I did."

"Oh, alright. Do you need me to sign anything else, David?"

David hummed. "Not yet, maybe in a bit. We can still chat while I do this if you'd like."

"Sure thing, David!" Daniel began. He tried to come up with a topic on the fly. "So, how'd you hear about Camp Campbell in the first place?"

David's eyes lit up. "Oh! Well, my parents started sending me here when I was little, probably about Max's age. I kept going here into my teens, when Mr. Campbell asked if I wanted to volunteer as a counselor. It was a dream come true." David happily trailed off before realizing that he had stopped working on the documents. "How did you hear about Camp Campbell, Daniel?" David asked instinctively.

Daniel chuckled. "Well, I just saw a help wanted ad in the paper, is all."

"Oh, right! I knew that.."

Daniel smiled at David before looking out the window. From here, he got a nice view of the forest. Much different than the high up view he had at the hospital, but he preferred this one regardless. He was excited to explore these woods.

A knock at the door, David glanced up from the paperwork and walked over to the door. "Oh, hello Gwen! What's goin' on?"

From the other side of the door, "David, its 10 am, we should really get the campers up if you wanna do that activity you had planned. What is that, anyway?"

David straightened up. "Oh! That's right." David gave out a forced chuckle. "Well, I'm still sorting that out right now," Daniel cocked an eyebrow. "but it shouldn't take more than 20 minutes, Gwen." 

"Alright, David. No rush, I'm gonna be in my cabin, come get me when you're ready, okay?" Gwen replied, Daniel could hear her footsteps on the gravel outside. The sudden draft tickled his nose, and Daniel sneezed. The footsteps stopped.

"David, whats going on in there?" Gwen said from outside. 

David froze. "Oh! That, well- hahah" David was noticeably nervous. Was Daniel's return to camp a complete surprise?

Gwen pushed David aside with ease, Daniel stood from the bed and locked eyes with Gwen. She looked astonished, Daniel glared.

"Oh, it's you." Gwen said bluntly. 

"Yep!" Daniel cheered, his voice carried toxin. "I'm all-ll better now, are you ready for a brand new day at Camp Campbell?" 

"Cut the shit, Daniel. Max told me all about what you were up to." David looked at Gwen nervously. 

"Now Gwen," David scorned. "Daniel deserves a chance at least, right? Besides, you were on vacation when he was here with me. You should really get to know him!"

"David, do you mind if you and I talk one on one, first?" Gwen asked

"I'd really feel more comfortable if we were all in the same room, Gwen." David nervously replied.

Daniel piped up. "If its any consolation, Gwen, I don't mind what you have to say about me."

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well, I think you're fucking crazy." David looked at her in astonishment.

"Gwen!" David nearly squeaked out, "That is no way to treat a co-counselor!"

Gwen huffed. "You actually hired him? After what happened?"

Daniel glared at her. He wasn't prepared for Gwen to get in his way, this was a bit more difficult to deal with than any of the campers. He could manage this, though. "Gwen," Daniel tilted his head to the right. "You weren't at the camp while I was working here," His neck popped. "-right?"

"No, I wasn't" Gwen replied. "But-"

"Ah ah," Daniel cut her off. "David was here, though, and he trusts me. Right?" Daniel turned to David, who seemed to be in a state of slight bewilderment.

David gave meek nod. Good enough.  
"David, Gwen. I get it." Daniel let out with a sigh. "I know that I'm not exactly.." Daniel thought for a moment. "the most welcoming person to be around. And you know what? That's fair. But please, give me another chance. I really do want to work here, with you." Daniel made eye contact with David for a moment. "I'll prove it to you. To both of you, and the campers."

Gwen paused for a moment. Daniel wanted to work here more than she did. 

"So, Daniel." She began. "You really want to work here, with everyone? From what I've heard, you didn't really make a good first impression."

"That is true." Daniel began. "But still, that's what second chances are for, right?" He gave Gwen one of his signature smiles. "Besides, I've done everything that was asked of me thus far, I've more than fulfilled the requirements in my job listing." Daniel hated playing this card again, but it would work again. It always did.

\- - -

"Goood morning Campbell Campers!" David cheered. "I'd love for you all to give a warm welcome to-"

"What the fuck is he doing here, David?" Max nearly snarled.

David tensed. "Mind your language, Max. Daniel is really excited to work with all of you, again."

"He tried to kill us, you moron." Max spat. Daniels stared daggers at the boy from behind David.

"Max, that is enough. Whether you like it or not, Daniel is going to be helping us around the camp."

Daniel spoke up. "It's great to see all of you again, I've missed you all so much! I hope I can make the rest of your summer memorable!"

Daniel looked at the group of campers, then specifically at Max.  
Max huffed. Daniel shot him a glare laced with poison. Let the games begin.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading this far! I hope you enjoyed, if you did please leave a kudos! It'd mean a lot to me!  
> If you have the time, could you maybe leave a comment as well? This is still (technically) my first post on AO3, and my first time writing this much in a while. Any feedback would be appreciated, even notes on if anyone is out of character would be nice.
> 
> Suggestions for the next chapter? Great! Send em my way!


End file.
